GERMANS IN POLAND

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20049, 22 September 1939, Page 7

GERMANS IN POLAND

Thousands Taken Prisoner DEFENCE IN ISOLATED AREAS Soviet Armies Claim Further Captures CAPITAL RECOUNTS STORY OF CARNAGE (Elec. Tel. Copyright,—United Press Assn.) (Reed. Sept. 22, 11 a.m.) LONDON, Sept, 21. A communique issued at Warsaw by the Polish Defence Army says that the Polish .troops advanced over two miles in the west sector, retaking the suburbs of Praga and Wola and capturing many prisoners besides three heavy and seven light machine-guns. Charges by light horse dislodged entrenched Germans. A message from Rome quotes a wireless message stating that the Poles are still holding out at Gdynia and that, furthermore, Modlin has not fallen. The German High Command estimates that the moppingup operations in Poland will take a week. Ihe German Army is said to he reluctant to shell Warsaw heavily, hoping that, the surrender of the garrison will save further destruction of valuable property. The Germans say that civilians besides soldiers have been thrown into prison camps. The German High Command reports that the result of the battle of the Vistula is still unascertainable. So far as is known nine Polish divisions, parts of 10 further divisions, and also tlnee cavalry brigades are still fighting. The Germans claim that strong Polish forces surrendered in the south, among whom was the Commander-in-Chief of the Southern Polish Army. Berlin reports that the Polish prisoners taken on the northern front total 170,000. The number is steadily increasing and the total of prisoners taken throughout Poland so far is 350,000A Moscow message quotes a communique issued by the Russian General staff announcing the capture of Lwow and Grodno- It is stated that the Red Army is occupying at present a line from Grodno to Lwow. Soviet Spoils of War. The Soviet claims to have taken 00,000 prisoners, 280 cannon and 120 aeroplanes. Moscow reports that thousands of refugees arc flocking to areas occupied by the Red Army from the direction of Warsaw. A Moscow wireless announcement states that, the Red Army commanders have ordered all shops in the occupied territory to reopen. They must accept Soviet currency and must no.t raise prices. ■ It is officially announced in Kaunas that Russia told Lithuania that she intended to occupy only_the territory inhabited by White Russians and Ukrainians, which in Kaunas is taken to mean .that she will, hand over the A ilna (Wilno) area to Lithuania. The Nazi press to-day warns the world to expect what the Hamburger Fremdemblatt calls “another British propaganda torpedo” like the report of a German threat against the Belgian frontier. The Allegemeine Zeitung states: “Germany has achieved her war aim, namely the conquest of Poland. ■ The west does not interest us. Of course, if we are attacked we will defend ourselves as effectively as possible.” However- the Germans apparently have overlooked the fact that while the Warsaw radio remains the city’s link with the outside world, it is impossible to deceive anybody as to what is occurring. The station this morning announced that heavy artillery was taking great toll of women and children. The population were constantly fighting new outbreaks of fire, repairing new damage and clearing up refuse. Following a successful Polish counter-attack, 30 German planes made a devastating raid, but seven were shot down. The announcer said that the streets were still running with blood. Priests were administering the last sacrament to men, women and children who were dying everywhere.